[frogjerk]

Forget tax breaks for wealthy donors; the charities themselves are where the real money is. Just talk to any mayor of any decent-sized city in America — they all would love to tax charities. Consider New York City. Its two biggest landowners are the Catholic Church and Columbia University. Neither pays property taxes. They use the roads. They use the police. Why should they get a break on paying their fair share?

French Revolution anyone?

Sick people

[Noob1999]

................Just talk to any mayor of any decent-sized city in America — they all would love to tax charities.............

Providence RI came up with an interesting compromise about a decade ago.
With Brown University; RI School of Design; Johnson and Wales College; Providence College, among many others, not to mention churches, hospitals, and other non-profits, the non-profits came to an agreement with the city to pay their fair share of police, fire, sewage, and other common infrastructure costs by reimbursing the city based on a sq./ft., population, etc. formula.

It appears to have worked well for Providence - the schools continue to thrive, and Providence is earning some quid for hosting these non-profits. Yet Providence, and all of RI, remains one of the highest taxed states in the union.